Reddies First Kiss
by ii.lucyx1
Summary: Reddie (Rachel and Eddie) and if they had their relationship from the begining of season 4, will release when i have the time to write. Please review


RACHELS POV

_Returning back to work was most certainly the right thing_ _to do, I know that. So why do I feel this butterfly motion in my stomach? Sitting in a hospital bed doing nothing but watching time go by was one awful way to spend the half term but work should occupy my mind again_.

As Rachel pulled into the schools car park the familiar, family feel of Waterloo Road came flooding back. Although she was nervous, she felt at home. After checking her appearance in her mirror her eyes darted over to a four by four parked in the next space over, it was her Deputy's, Eddie Lawson. Oh how she had missed him! Howeber, she knew the school had been in good hands with him.

She wondered what Eddie had been up to over his half term, if she had crossed his mind or if he had missed her. A part of her hoped he had. On the last day of term, the day of the fire, he had asked her out for a drink which she accepted happily. Eddie made her feel like a teenager again, he had this affect on her no one else did.

As Rachel walked up the stairs and into the schools hall the students passing seemed to be at lightening speed but also as slow as anything, it was safe to say it was going to be a hard day. After composing herself she took herself up to her office where her deputy sat, fixated on the laptop in front of him. Rachel had forgotten how his precense made her feel, she felt safe and happy.

_"What was wrong with that picture?" _

_"Rachel?!"_

Eddie was over the moon to see Rachel, he had been worried sick all over the half term! The first thing he noticed was her new haircut, she looked beautiful, which was nothing new. After a rocky start in their professional relationship Eddie has quite taken to Rachel, in fact he often found himself thinking about her. He was falling in love. But she could never know that.

Rachel wouldn't admit it but she was so excited that Eddie was happy to see her, could he possibly still like her? Well, he never told her in the first place that he did... After the injury the fire had given Rachel she has felt very self concious.

_Of course he doesn't like me, how could I be foolish enough to think he ever would? Even if he did, my scar would soon scare him off, It's hideous..._

Eddie ascended from the heads chair and greeted Rachel, welcoming her back.

_"Well, it's all yours"_

He threw out his arm showing her to her desk. They both stopped, only for a split second, both looking at each other in the eyes smiling. Eddie just wanted to kiss her, he had missed her so much and was so happy she was back. But Rachel dodged him and walked towards her desk making herself comfy in her chair once more.

"_Not that I will be spending much time sitting down this year. Far too much time to sit and think over the last few weeks..."_

It was true, Rachel had been bed bound and was restricted to her own thoughts and when your as much as a workaholic as Rachel Mason, it felt like torture. During her time of thinking, Eddie did cross her mind more than she would like to admit. She wondered what would've happened if the fire hadn't happened, what would have happened that night and could their have been something. But it wasn't to be...

"_You're recovering from massive injuries."_

Eddie reminded Rachel, trying to convince her that he rest will have been best for her.

"_Yeah, whatever._

_I just wanna get going! I made a lot of promises when I came here and I haven't kept any of them."_

When the LEA had told Rachel she would be taking over head of Waterloo Road for a while she had spend hours on end planning her ambitions for the school including:

business and enterprise college status, vocational courses, an IT infrastructure. But with her "distractions" last time, she failed to complete most of her plans.

_"That's not true, Rachel. And in fairness, you did have a few distractions."_

_"This year I put it all right. I don't want this school associated with fires and scandals. I want it to be a place where you can change your life, for the better"_

Eddie didn't know how to respond to Rachel's wide-eyes optimism but to tell her to look after herself. He cared for Rachel, more than anything, and all he wanted was for her to be happy and safe. Rachel, obviously trying to divert this conversation, reminded Eddie of assembly and they both made their way down to the assembly hall. Eddie had something planned in assembly as a welcome back gift for Rachel.

And as they both walked in the doors to the hall, Eddie nodded at the choir and they started to sing. Undeniably it was awfully sweet even if they weren't the most tuneful. It was the thought that counted. Rachel turned around to Eddie and he simply smiled towards the kids. Eddie went to take his seat ,as while being serenaded Rachel made her way on to the stage.

_"Welcome home, welcome._

_Come on in, and close the door._

_You've been gone, too long_

_Welcome, you're home once more."_

As the choir finished singing Rachel's eyes drew to one individual, Bolton Smiley, as he had started chanting. And before long everyone was chanting:

_"There's only one Miss Mason! One_

_Miss Mason!"_

Rachel was overwhelmed, after only being in her own company for several weeks and coming back to this. But it was a lovely thought and she knew Eddie was behind it all. Although Rachel hadn't necessarily achieved her initial goals she has helped several individual students, and Bolton Smiley was her most successful project and he had taken a real shining to her.

After a few unsuccessful attempts to quieten the hall, the chanting finally stopped. Rachel was blushing over her welcoming entrance and thanked everyone including Eddie.

_"Mr Lawson, who I suspect is behind_

_all of this fuss."_

She shared a quick smile with Eddie as he embarisingly smiled while lowering his head. Rachel got through the assembly and felt great after, she felt ready to get back in!

Rachel headed back up to her office and decided to start on a bit of paperwork when she decided to check out the rebuilding of the school herself, she rose from her chair and conducted herself through the rebuilt corridors. Just as she reached the end of her walk and was back at the entrance of the school she could hear a young boy clearly threatening someone, as Rachel took a closer looks she saw a teenage boy pinning up a taxi driver on his car yelling at him. She headed down to investigate and sort out the incident.

As Rachel arrives at the scene she physically pulls the boy off the taxi driver and yells

_"What do you think you're doing? Get off him!"_

After a heated word between Rachel and this Boy, who is called Earl, Eddie comes out to see what's going on.

_"there a problem?"_ Eddie asks

The taxi driver responds

_"Yeah, five of 'em._

_I should have known when they asked to be brought here. Typical flaming Waterloo Road. They should have let_

_this place burn to the ground."_

Eddie slams the taxi drivers door and shouts for him to get of the schools property. As the Taxi drives off Eddie goes over to Rachel to make sure she's okay. Rachel, clearly irritated by the fuss, shrugs him off and says she's fine. Rachel, being the solution solver she is, invited the family in to the school to see what the fuss is and why they are on school property.

Rachel and Eddie carry either end of the buggy of the youngest child from the family up the stairs as students make comments, insinuating the baby is Rachel and Eddies.

"Cute baby, Miss."

"Looks just like you, sir."

Rachel spent most of her morning sorting out the Kelly's, Rose was clearly in a rush to dump the kids and be else where and the second she filled out the forms, she was gone. Rachel shared a "what are we going to do?" type look at Eddie before getting Joyce to print out temporary timetables for the Kelly's and having the youngest taking to the crèche. As Eddie and a Rachel stood discussing the situation and how it 'wasn't quite the first day she had planned' he decided to go for it

_"I reckon you'll be in need of a_

_drink by the end of play. I'll even buy you it."_

Rachel awkwardly smiled at him.

_"Maybe, let's see how it goes first."_

Rachel and Eddie held interviews in the afternoon for the new role of teaching adults re entering education, after debating wether to go informal or formal she decided on a formal setting to really put the pressure on. Eddie got the first candidate and the interviews began. After interviewing a old fashioned, grumpy Mr Budgen and a rather off task Miss Haydock an external candidate arrived , Mellisa Ryan. Rachel seemed very keen on the applicant, almost too keen, whereas Eddie was quite cautious and put her through her paces.

Then, almost out of the blue, the day turnt into a nightmare... A note was slid under Rachel's door alerting her of a gun on the grounds, originally she thought it was a hoax, a silly joke! Rachel lost it, she couldn't put the kids through and evacuation again. The last time she did it their school was burnt to the ground! She was panicking, but Eddie calmed her down, like he always did. He told her how they were going to do it and came close to Rachel to calm her. Eventually she accepted she would have to quietly but quickly evacuate the school, for safety.

Eddie took control of evacuating the kids while Rachel rang the police, they worked together, they did that well.

Between Rachel, the staff and the police they gathered all the children outside. Registers were being taken, classes gathered in orderly lines when the unthinkable happened. BANG! A bullet went off. The whole school ducked and screamed, now they all knew why they had to go outside. The police moved them all away, all hysterical. Screams. Tears. Rachel's head was spinning. It couldn't stop. What was she going to do. All of a sudden Donte Charles came running out, a big blood patch on his top. Had he been shot? Was that the bullet they heard? He came out saying there was a kid in there with a gun.

Rachel knew what she had to do. It was stupid, and careless and could seriously hurt her but she would do anything to protect the children of Waterloo Road. Anything. She ran into the building before any police could grab her, she was gone.

"RACHEL! RACHEL!"

Eddie tried to race after her but Insp Ralph Mellor held him back, he'd lost Rachel all over again. The time he spent outside waiting on Rachel felt like forever, it was the fire all over again... Eddie felt like he had lost her.

Then, after what felt like years, she came out! She had Denzil Kelly on her side, he was holding a gun... She had done it, she had been the hero once again. But when was she going to learn that she can't always be the hero?

_" when are you going to get into your head? You can't save everybody, Rachel."_

Rachel turned her head to Eddie, with a stern, serious look on her face she said

_"I can try" _

Eddie followed through with his promise and after work took Rachel out the pub, all the staff was there. She payed for a round of drinks for them all to say well done for the great work today. She really didn't feel like going to the pub but Eddie had convinced her to come for a while.

Rachel had called up a friend to come and pick her up, she had had enough. Just as she was leaving Eddie joined her in the porch. The close proximity of them both was made very aware. Eddie had had a few drinks and was feeling braver than usual, Rachel on the other hand had wallowed herself into thinking her scar defined her and no one could love her with that.

Eddie offered to drive her home but Rachel made the valid point that none of them should be driving in their state, he then offered for them to get a taxi. Eddie slowly put his hand behind Rachel's neck and held her close

_"I just want to talk..."_

_"Eddie..."_

_"About us."_

_"There's nothing to talk about._

_Eddie, there is no us. I'm sorry."_

_Rachel walked out hoping that was the end as she was finding it increasingly harder to deny Eddie's affection. Eddie followed after her, he wasn't giving up that easily. _

_"Please, Eddie..."_

_"I just don't understand it. Before_

_the fire..."_

_"That feels like a long time ago_

_now."_

_"I know but there was something... I_

_thought we were getting close."_

_"Things have changed."_

_"What? Because I know about your_

_past? That doesn't change a thing for me. You know that. You know that you're special. Nothing could change that."_

Deep inside this was all Rachel wanted to hear but between her self consciousness and the drinks she'd had, she was getting angry...

_"Nothing? Are you sure about that?"_

Rachel's heart was breaking but this was the only way to stop Eddie from persisting.

_"Of course."_

_ "Let's see shall we?"_

Rachel undid her top blouse buttons to reveal a large scar down the side of her chest leading on to her breast. It looked incredibly painful.

_"Rachel..."_

_"Just leave me alone, Eddie!" _

But just as Rachel started to storm off Eddie grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him and embraced her in a kiss. Rachel knew this wasn't what was meant to happen but the second her lips touched his, she couldn't stop herself... If just felt right, for both of them. Rachel and Eddie stayed on each other's lips until there was a desperate need for air, as they both looked into each other's eyes Eddie whispered in Rachel's ear

_"Nothing will change how special you are, and I mean nothing"_

A car horn beeped a couple of times, it was Rachel's lift. She didn't want to leave but knew she had to. Eddie had started kissing Rachel's neck when she broke off from him, she embraced his lips once more and started to walk away. She reached the car, sat in the front seat and sunk into the chair.

_"Good first day I take?"_


End file.
